Page 44 of Embrace

I know what he means. I do. But defiance stirs in me, sharp and reckless, because I hate how easily he dismantles whatever facade I try to hold up. So I do—I take it off, just like he asked.

I tug the sweater over my head in one smooth motion, standing before Kian in nothing but my bra and the skirt.

He freezes. Completely. His know-it-all smirk crumbles, and for once, Kian Ishida looks like someone just pulled the plug on his brain.

“You—I…Wh—” he sputters, words colliding in his throat.

I think I broke him.

His Adam’s apple bobs, once, twice, three times. His eyes drop to my body, but he’s looking at my tattoos. I’ve got a lot of them—too many to count, according to my parents. There’s a lotus flower running behind my arm, like a ribbon, in both white and black ink.The lyrics from my favorite song on the inside of my biceps, and all kinds of animals and dainty things swirled together to make parts of my sleeve. But it’s the dragon in red ink on my back that’s my favorite.

“Is this better, Your Highness?” I ask sweetly, batting my lashes.

“Perfect,” he whispers, so soft I almost miss it. Then he clears his throat and darts his gaze to anything but me. “Uh, I still think you shouldn’t wear that sweater.”

Giving up, I march into my room, yanking open the closet. A graveyard of tops is scattered across the floor from the last time I was too lazy to hang them up. I start flinging them behind me one by one, fabric flying over my shoulder.

“Try this,” Kian says from behind me.

I turn to find him grabbing the shirt that must have landed on his shoulder when I threw it behind me. It’s a brown top, square neckline and sleeveless.

Kian’s eyes stay well above my neck, and when I snatch the top from him to put it on, he turns away. I bite my lip to keep from laughing. “Well, now I have to put on makeup.”

I expect him to groan or tell me I’ve got a limited amount of time, but he nods, plopping onto my bed with his arms behind his head, watching me.

Although he doesn’t rush me, I apply some makeup quickly. Concealer, blush, eyeliner, and some gloss. When I start curling my lashes for mascara, I glance at Kian through my vanity mirror. “Sorry, I’ll just be one more minute.”

He shrugs. “Take your time. I like watching you.”

There’s a flutter in my chest when I pull my gaze from him and finish up.

The drive to Starlight is quiet but it’s comfortable, especially with the soft sound of Laufey playing through the speakers. When he parks, he comes around the car and opens my door before I even have the chance. It feels awfully like a date. Not that I would know.

A date with you could never be a pity.

What the hell did he mean by that? Those words are nearly engraved in my memory.

I focus on my shoes as we step inside Starlight, and it’s like standing next to a celebrity. Everyone we pass stops to talk to Kian, wanting to have a full-blown conversation. Kian leaves them all smiling. Happy.

Live music hums inside, the strum of a guitar, and I notice Cassie onstage. I smooth down the fabric of my skirt for the tenth time, my palms slightly clammy.

I scan the lounge and see Mac McCormack ordering a drink at the bar. My entire body tenses, feeling the way his hand squeezed my arm at the Beta Phi welcome party.

I whirl around and slam straight into a hard body. All six foot two inches of Kian Ishida crowd against me, and for a terrifying second I’m sure I’m about to topple over. But then his arm snakes around my waist, steadying me with ease.

“You okay?” he murmurs, his breath brushing my ear.

I don’t miss the way his gaze lingers on me for a long minute.

“I don’t know if I told you earlier, but you look—”

“There’s my date!” Cassie cuts in, pulling Kian in for a tight hug. I move out of the way, letting the two of them come together. With my glare, I’m burning holes into Kian’s head and his insistence that this isn’t a date.

But then Cole walks in and pulls me right to his side. “You made it! Did you miss me?”

I let out a weak laugh, moving away from his touch. Cole’s a nice guy, and I can see he’s only here for a good time, but I don’t want anyone to get any ideas.

So I step to the side, follow the group to our seats, and purposely sit at the edge of the table, facing the stage.